On the round stage of the Tohu, the bodies move. All muscles out, prominent triceps, flat bellies, these humans, the ten artists who make up the show Humans 2.0 of the Australian troupe Circa, in rehearsal, are preparing to explore the limits of their physical strength, to defy gravity, to reverse the roles.
Around the track, artistic director Ben Knapton brings them together and gives advice. “You have to feel the force that’s driving you, that you’re being pulled in that direction, that you’re being pulled onto the stage, rather than just appearing on it,” he tells them.
Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Circa, which plays at Tohu, is one of the most popular circus companies in the world. Already the show Humanswhich featured several returning artists this year, caused a stir.
” Humans 2.0 is really the sequel to Humans. It also resumes exactly on the last painting of this one, says Ben Knapton. Humans included more different acts, whereas Humans 2.0 is more of a group proposal. All the artists are almost constantly on stage. There are a few solos, in acts 2 and 3, where the sets and costumes change, but apart from that, the 10 artists are almost always on stage. »
In rehearsal, we approach the brute force of these artists, with powerful and precise playing. At times they form together a sort of quadrupedal insect, then an airplane about to land.
“Yaron Lifschitz, who runs the company, works a lot on physical postures,” continues Ben Knapton. For example, in this show, the artists explore the practice of sky diving”skydiving”. »
For him, the new circus comes mainly in abstraction. We create figures, group scenes, abandoning the more traditional format proposing a story.
Circa’s adventure dates back to 1987, with the creation of the Rock’n’roll Circus. In 2004, Yaron Lifschitz took over and renamed the ensemble Circa.
“There are different circus schools in Australia,” continues Ben Knapton. One of them, NICA, for National Institute of Circus Arts, based in Melbourne, offers a three-year university program.
“Circa artists come from different schools, and it’s good that there is diversity,” he adds.
Circa is currently offering a dozen different shows around the world. In Quebec, the troupe also presented Sacreda show inspired by Rite of Springby Stravinsky.